psychotherapist? To whom do you seek refuge?

If you have a mental health problem, you should be able to find out which specialist can treat your condition. In a report published in the French newspaper "Le Figaro", writer Cecile Tibert says that most people do not know the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist, and therefore they may be confused about choosing between one of the two when treating a psychological problem.

A psychiatrist is the only mental health professional who can diagnose conditions and prescribe medications. "We care about the neurological disorders that lead to behavioral disorders," explains Dr. Emmanuel Loeb - a psychiatrist specializing in pharmacology at Orsay Hospital.

"The psychiatrist sees mental illnesses as a result of hormonal imbalances or disturbances in the ion exchange in the brain," said Stefan Rusynik, professor of psychology at Lille University.

The evolution of psychotherapy

Until 2010 it was easy to open a clinic for psychotherapy, but then things changed and this specialty was framed. In France, for example, there is a register with regional health agencies that includes the names of specialists who are authorized to work legally.

In order to obtain the license, it is necessary to receive theoretical training in clinical psychology for 400 hours, and practical training for at least 5 months. This specialty is restricted to holders of a doctorate in medicine and a master''s degree in psychology, and accordingly, not all psychiatrists and psychologists are psychotherapists.

According to Rosinik, "Psychotherapy is a branch of psychology, which is the science of behavior. Regardless of the physiological cause of the dysfunction, the task of the psychotherapist is to make patients adopt normal behaviors without taking medication." At this level, matters get complicated, because there are dozens of subspecialties for psychotherapy, supported by science, the most famous of which is psychoanalysis.

Scientific point of view

Lube says that psychoanalysis is based on theories only, without submitting to scientific assessments, which is confirmed by Rosenick, saying, "Psychoanalysis cannot be evaluated scientifically, as it is based on the hypothesis of the existence of the unconscious."

For his part, psychiatrist Jean-Baptiste Aleksanyan says that "anyone can present himself as a psychoanalyst, just as one can declare that he is a leader or that he embraces a certain religion or culture. In psychoanalysis, there are things that seem inappropriate from my point of view," "Sometimes I find it dangerous, and yet it carries a benefit for some people. What we have learned from science is that caring for people and containing them emotionally affects them positively."

Alexanian believes that cognitive behavioral therapies are based on a small number of scientific evidence, while Loeb says, "Studies have shown that CBT has proven effective in improving phobia and anxiety disorders."

According to the French Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, the idea is to help the patient to identify the factors that cause his suffering and to determine the forms of biased thinking, beliefs and behaviors that he should address. "We provide patients with a set of exercises so that the benefit is realized as soon as possible, and the goal is for the patient to treat himself."

Whom should you go to?

On the basis of these data, to whom should you go to treat your psychological problem, to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist?

According to the author, the question that a person should ask himself before going to either of them is: Do the symptoms that appear on him affect his quality of life, including sleep quality, mood and self-esteem? Do these disturbances prevent the accomplishment of what he wants to do?

In this regard, Alexanian says, "If this is the case, then the situation calls for consulting a family doctor at first, and then consulting a psychiatrist or psychologist at a later stage."

“Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing techniques, as well as the practice of meditation exercises and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are often aimed at treating conditions ranging from mild to moderate, while psychiatry is concerned with severe disorders,” says Loeb. For psychological care. "

"Cognitive behavioral therapy is a useful complementary treatment, but I am concerned that psychological treatments are sufficient for patients who suffer from severe cases, and this is a professional mistake. Those who suffer from a depressive episode need to take antidepressants, which are known non-addictive treatments, in addition to receiving treatment." Psychological. "

Dr. Loeb believes that psychoanalysis can benefit those who are not permanently depressed and need only minor intervention. Dr. Alexanian takes the same position, as he does not advise people with depression and anxiety disorders to undergo psychoanalytic sessions.